Latest Anti-Drug Ad Tactic: Fake Snuff Video

What you’re about to witness is a dramatizationâ€”no pot smokers were killed in the making of this spot produced by Grey Melbourne for the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) of Australia. Here’s the setup: two young men are sitting outside smoking a joint at a house party. One’s young girlfriend/wife says it time to go. He gets behind the wheel (UH-OH!). They comment on how bloody cute their friend’s baby girl is…maybe when they get home, they’re gonna start trying to have a little one of their own? Man is driving erratically! Woman is worried. He does the right thing! They decided to swap positions. Disaster averted? Jump for the horrific conclusion of this high drama on the highway that turns out feeling more like an anti-stupidity spot.

TAC claims that 20% of all drivers and motorcyclists killed Down Under are found to have “illicit drugs” in their systems. That figure sounds a tad “high” to me. Previously: UK anti-spliff spot a whiff.

This ad makes no sense. The guy decides to do the right thing and only then does he get drilled. So the message is that he should have kept right on driving? In trying to surprise the viewer, the creators destroyed the message.